One of Anna's favorite things to do is find a pair of shoes, put them on her hands, and crawl around.

And, it doesn't have to be a complete pair - she will often take off with just one shoe, leaving the other behind. This causes great confusion when you go to put your shoes on and can't find its mate. Most likely Anna has left it in the corner of the dining room or in the bathroom or somewhere.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It is Fall, and that means Football!! Or, as we Americans like to call it -- Soccer!

Soccer is pretty much the same as last year -- and just as entertaining =)

They have 10 weeks of clinics: 30 minutes of drills, then 30 minutes of scrimmage. It is just about right for 1st graders who have slightly longer attention spans than kindergartners, but still not ready for a full game.

Anyway - Charlie scored a goal this week during the scrimmage!! He was very excited. Here are a few action shots from the day.

I don't really know what this drill was - but it looked more like dancing than soccer =)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Anna's Grandpa and Grandma have been doing a lot of encouraging during their visit, and today they were rewarded with this exciting milestone!

Check out her video...she stands for a few seconds and then takes 2-3 steps!

Her balance has really improved over the last couple of days. Maybe it is the ear tubes and removal of the fluid? Or maybe it is a pair of shoes that actually fit! (Poor thing...I have been cramming her little piggies into size 5 shoes, but when I had them measured the other day, she needs a 6.5-7!!!)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Anna's Ear Tube insertion on Friday went well. Her ears, according to the doctor, were "super tiny" so he had to use the "super tiny" tubes. Tiny ear canals are a common trait among children with Down syndrome.

Anyway, Anna recovered quickly and had a great weekend being spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa. In fact, she recovered so quickly that Jonathan and I were able to sneak away for a wedding down in Baltimore for the weekend (more on that in a later post).

We are supposed to go back to the ENT in a couple weeks for a follow-up hearing test where we are confindent that all will go well!

Anna helping the nurse check her heart rate

Daddy looking good in his scrubs...he required an XXXXL (based on height - not weight)

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Last weekend we went to visit some family friends up at Lake Chautauqua in New York. The weather didn't cooperate, but we still managed to have a great time. We had lots of great food. The company was very entertaining, and Paige was in heaven with "you know, that nice lady that played ponies with me". =)

The kids were disappointed about not getting out on the boat, but they did enjoy dipping their feet in off the dock.

And, someone decided that it would be fun to get up before dawn to go play golf in the fog. It was fun, but it was also very early (and wet)! We all won the longest drive that morning because nobody could dispute how far it went when we couldn't see more than 20 ft. in front of us. =)

Thanks for a great weekend, Jim and Dee!! I think we may be back soon! =)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Ok - so it was actually last Friday...but Paige is excited about being back in school with all her friends!

She was also thrilled that it was a little chilly on Friday so she could wear her "Girls Can Change the World" t-shirt. She has been waiting for weeks to wear it - and to get to wear it on her first day of school -- oh the bliss! =)

Not a tear was shed as she sprinted up the stairs and burst into her classroom. Paige had arrived, and she was making her presence known.

Pages

Anna Banana Pants

Anna Banana Pants is our third child who has a little something extra...an extra 21st chromosome. Having a child with Down syndrome is not the life sentence that many believe it to be. In fact, it is the probably the greatest blessing we have received as a family. This blog is about Anna, and our everyday family life.